Except for door-to-door salesmen and would-be thieves, the video doorbell has become a hugely
popular technology, gracing 45 million households in the US alone. Numerous national and regional
brands are vying for prominence in a market valued at $1.525 billion in 2024. Currently no statistics are
available on the criminal activity these units have recorded and the same is very likely true of non-
criminal activity. Occasionally among the stray dogs and cats, naughty squirrels and other wildlife, the
cameras catch some unusual human behavior. Said behavior really can’t be identified as criminal, and in
fact it can’t really be classified at all. Such was the case in two separate central Pennsylvanian
communities over the first full week of March.
Every day, the activity captured on these units is discussed on “neighbor boards,” private chat
rooms set up by the individual companies as a feature of their sites. While sites have their share of
overuse and misapplication, the majority of posts are routine: lost/found pets, noise complaints, missing
or stolen packages, etc. Users can report activities their units record, while others make suggestions,
answer question or simply commiserate. Since videos are very often posted within minutes, the “chat”
can run 24/7.
A doorbell camera video, posted in Harrisburg, PA just after 7pm on February 26th , showed a
couple’s unusual activity on an individual’s front porch. A woman stepped onto the porch and left a
package, while her “accomplice” (who was not visible enough for identification) waited on the sidewalk.
While “no trespassing” signs were posted, the young woman merely deposited the package and exited the
porch. The homeowner identified the package as an unopened puzzle. They later posted that the house
next door received a puzzle, while another “Neighbor” posted having seen a puzzle sitting on the porch of
the opposite house while walking their dog the following day. When asked, the original “Neighbor” said
their puzzle depicted a local amusement park.
Another more unusual activity occurred in York county, PA March 11th , gaining widespread media
attention. The doorbell video revealed a masked individual leaving an empty box on the porch around
four in the morning. Two major issues make this “delivery” differ from the previously-mentioned
activity. The first and less important point was that the individual made their presence known by ringing
the doorbell and speaking to the occupants. The second and infinitely more important point was that the
individual introduced themselves as a “Box Demon.” The video, which changes from monochrome to full
color, shows the “Demon’s” full outfit: dressed in what others have described as a “tie-dyed onsie” their
face was hidden in a paper plate mask. Surrounded with construction paper petals, the mask had a face
drawn in red and black crayons. The video was shared throughout the internet, where one commenter
likened the face to a character in the Roblox franchise known as Twisted Dandy. Northern York County
Regional Police Department, the law enforcement bureau tasked with dealing with this, announced the
next day that the “Demon” was identified and in their words “spoken to.”
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The NYCRPD report makes clear neither party wants to elaborate on the incident. As for the
‘puzzle delivery,” no one could be reached for further comment. These will undoubtedly stand out from
other such unusual camera footage-the strange lights and equally strange shadows-for quite a while yet.
BT JAMES is a freelance journalist and Author of ILLD’EL: HOMO SAPIENS AVIUM
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